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A philosophy major, a teacher, a folk singer; these are some of the paths Tim Noyes traveled before starting Handsome Ghost.

Noyes began writing folk songs in college, five hours west of his native Boston. After graduation, he taught English for three years at a Bronx high school, playing shows and open mics in the evenings. The contrast of clubs and classrooms couldn't last, and a publishing deal encouraged him to risk becoming a full-time musician.

Eventually, Noyes felt himself moving away from folk music. As his tastes became more eclectic, "One month I love R&B and then it's today's pop or 90's hits," the acoustic world seemed to present certain limitations. At an artistic crossroads of sorts, he considered a possible return to teaching, a move to the suburbs, or joining his father's family business.

Instead – Noyes poured his doubts into a new project, Handsome Ghost, still crafting every song with an acoustic guitar, but now augmenting them with colorful, electronic production. "I'm in a strange place in my life. I'm not a kid anymore but I know I'm not quite an adult yet, either," Noyes explains. "I can pretend like I am and I often do, but if I'm being honest, I'm still not there. Many of these new songs live in that lost world between responsible and reckless, between figuring everything out and having absolutely no clue."

In the generation of ever pro-longed youth, wondering when to grow up isn't uncommon, but choosing a career in music only exacerbates the extremes. For all of the perks – traveling the country with friends, performing each night, meeting new people - it's not without malaise. It's a life that leaves very little time for hobbies, friends back home, or love. When it comes down to one or the other, Noyes picks his music. While Handsome Ghost's debut EP Steps amassed over 20 million streams, Noyes spent 2015 touring the U.S. and writing almost 100 new songs. Six of these will be featured on a second EP The Brilliant Glow - out fall 2016 - with a debut album to follow in the winter.

"It's hard to know which parts of the past are worth fighting for and which parts are better to just let go of. Sometimes it seems like you have to cut ties to move forward, but that's a lot easier said than done. I think a lot of these new songs center around that idea: we know what we need to do to grow, but that doesn't always help."

Hailing from the low-country of Charleston, SC, now Brooklyn-based Frances Cone creates an indie pop that harkens back to old time folk and blues. With soulful, smoky vocals, and lyrics that both comfort and challenge, the band subverts tradition to live in a world of delicate sensibilities and mesmerizing heartbreak, reaching a place that sings you through the ups and the downs, remarking on the heavy while lightening the load. They fall into a world occupied by the likes of Neko Case, Cat Power, Feist, Rufus Waingwright, and Ryan Adams. Fronted by Frances Cone, she is joined onstage by Jeff Malinowski, Andrew Doherty, and Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Already acclaimed by the likes of Vanity Fair, American Songwriter, Paste and Brooklyn Vegan, their reach is proving far and wide, their authenticity and captivating melodies undeniable.